Help Comes In All Forms
by thebigianthead
Summary: Gibbs is struggling through cases without his usually reliable gut and gets a kick in the pants...er, unexpected help/advice from a close friend that he didn't think he'd see again. Takes place during the season 6 episode "Collateral Damage." Single chapter, this is it.


Help Comes In All Forms

Summary: Gibbs is struggling through cases without his usually reliable gut and gets some unexpected help/advice from a close friend. Takes place during the season 6 episode "Collateral Damage."

Category: general mostly

Rating: K+

Timeline: Takes place during mid-Nov episode "Collateral Damage" but references the six months between "Judgment Day" in May 2008 and November 2008.

Warnings: No adult themes, violence or bad language except one word and it's not that bad.

Spoilers: Mention of events in the season 5 episode "Judgment Day," and season 6 episodes "Last Man Standing, Agent Afloat, Capital Offense, Heartland, Nine Lives, Murder 2.0, Collateral Damage and Cloak".

Disclaimer: I own nothing NCIS. I'm just borrowing the characters for a bit.

And finally, all mistakes are mine.

NCIS~NCIS~NCIS

It had been a hellish six months and each day it got harder, both to go to sleep and to drag himself out of bed the next morning. First Jenny was killed and the team split apart, and for four long months he tried everything he knew to get Lee, Langer and Keating to start fitting his mold of a good field agent. And it was all under the thumb and constant scrutiny of Director Leon Vance, who didn't like Gibbs, didn't trust Gibbs and hadn't confided in him. If only he had, then Gibbs could have come up with a better plan to find out who the bad agent was, but Vance hadn't until the very last and then Lee killed Langer and Keating went away. The team, his team, came back and things were okay. They weren't great, in fact he wasn't sure they'd ever be great again. But they were good and he accepted that.

For some reason, and he had no idea why it had happened, his gut had failed him. Letting him down at every turn. He'd been sure about Langer until Lee killed him, exposing the supposed traitorous mole. He'd not picked up any bad vibes from Pat Kiley or his wife, until Lynn was in his basement and said what she did about the girl being shot in the back. That information hadn't been released, but he still almost bought into the senator's aide committing the murder and then killing himself. His team considered it case closed after they had found the younger man in his Watergate apartment, but Gibbs was bothered by Lynn's statement and finally pressed harder.

Not long after that case they'd gone to Stillwater and he'd been reunited with his father, all under the watchful eyes of his team with them butting in at every turn. In the end things were good, but Gibbs would have preferred a different scenario. Working with Fornell in mid -October had been good, but the case took everything out of him. He'd been sure Kale had killed his two friends and was ready to charge him when suddenly he realized the man's lies weren't about him committing murder, but covering up who actually witnessed a murder and why.

His gut failed him again before Loomis died in the interrogation room. He'd been pretty certain the man was the cybervid killer. It failed him in the same case a second time when he was convinced Rose was the murderer and he and the team had come close to shooting her as she stood with a shotgun pointed at Doyle. Her being framed had never occurred to him and he could only be grateful that he'd noticed the video camera in time.

Gibbs' doubts about his judgement and his gut jumped up full force again when NCIS recruit Dwayne Wilson was assigned to the team. Ducky had analyzed him and struck a nerve, but it wasn't enough. Not yet. Gibbs made himself start paying attention to the niggling in his brain. His gut might not be reliable anymore, but he couldn't ignore what was in front of him and Michele Lee was totally bugging him on every level at every turn. He was sure she'd killed Langer to take suspicion away from herself. The question was what to do about it. His self-doubt was crushing him. Maybe at the end of the Vittorio case he could find a way to start thinking more clearly. For now he needed to sleep for a while to clear his brain and reset his emotions.

NCIS~NCIS~NCIS

Gibbs woke up gradually long before the set alarm. No ringing phone. No banging car door or loud engine noise from the street. His joints felt warm and relaxed under the light blanket and with closed eyes he stretched leisurely. Not feeling any stress at all, Gibbs turned to his side and spent a minute relaxing, just enjoying the quiet, comfortable solitude. Then he perked up as his senses reacted to a presence in the room with him. Had he brought someone home? Should he be nervous about opening his eyes?

Her light perfume reached from his nose to his mental barriers and he opened his eyes to see familiar emerald orbs gazing at him. They were beautiful and he sighed as both joy and sadness assaulted him.

"Hey, Jen," he greeted her as her eyes twinkled with love, respect and a little mischief. When a smile lit up her face, he whispered, "Miss you."

She was sitting on a chair with her legs crossed and the fair skin went from the tip of the toes on her bare feet to mid-thigh, giving him a wonderful view. One he knew he'd never see in life again.

Her smile faded a little and he watched her lean forward just a little, to keep his attention, but she had yet to speak. Enjoying her appearance, but a little confused, he asked, "Whatcha doing here?"

She rested her chin on a closed fist and said, "You needed to see me. You've been doubting yourself."

In agreement Gibbs sighed. "Yeah, about that."

"Jethro, you have to start trusting your gut again."

He watched as she rose from the chair and took a seat on the edge of the bed. Her perfume was a little stronger now and he relished it teasing his senses. She smelled just as he remembered and he closed his eyes for a few seconds before quickly opening them again, afraid she'd disappeared.

"I've made some mistakes, Jen. Just lucky things have turned out okay."

She scooted over a little more and put her hands on her lap admitting, "Leon can be a jerk."

He sure knew that was true.

"He's under a lot of pressure and trying too hard to please the wrong people."

Not completely believing SecNav was the wrong people, Gibbs continued to stare at her as he rubbed his hand over his face, feeling the morning stubble. When she didn't continue he told her, "I have to find a way to work with him... or retire."

Jen's eyes sparkled with compassion. "Jethro, you need him to help you get the mole."

His mouth opened in surprise as his eyes narrowed a little.

"Yes, I know about the mole. Find a way to get him to listen to you."

Gibbs studied her. Same face and body, same hair, same eyes, same lips, same personality. He cared about her so much. "Vance believes it was Langer. What makes you think he'll listen to me?"

Jenny's smile reached her eyes when she said, "You know you're right. Come up with a plan and sell it."

"Is that the only reason you came back?"

Her laugh warmed his heart and for a moment he forgot she was dead.

"No, of course it's not the only reason."

He felt the mattress move as she got up and he watched her walk to the window before turning around. "Stop doubting, Jethro. It's time to trust yourself again."

"I'll try, Jen," he promised, feeling her positive energy wrapping around him.

Suddenly her soft lips were on his cheek; her warm breath on his neck and ear. "Bye, Jethro."

With a sigh he started to say the same, but she was already gone. His hand went under his pillow and he closed his eyes, trying to hold the memory of her in his heart. When he finally opened his eyes again, he realized it had been a dream, but he felt better than he had in about six months and with renewed purpose he got off the couch and headed for the shower to start the day.

The End

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Thanks for reading.


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